Idolatry is another barrier to knowing God intimately. Only God has the right to be the center of our lives. And yet, we are often tempted to elevate someone else or something to that highest place of priority. Why? Because we are convinced this substitute for God will give the love we crave, the security …
Category Archives: Discipleship
32265 Spiritual Warfare
If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ and have received His pardon for your sins, then Satan has lost his hold on your eternal destiny. However, that doesn’t prevent the evil one from doing all he can to prevent you from developing intimacy with God and fulfilling His plan for your life. Communication …
32264 Preoccupied with Distractions
Busyness can also be a barrier to developing a closer relationship with God — even when we are actively serving Him. We mean well. We are devoted to Jesus and His Kingdom. But our focus on accomplishment can actually get in the way of our worship and fellowship with Jesus. Consider this example recorded by …
32263 Lack of Belief
Unbelief prevents us from trusting God. We live in the physical realm, but God resides in the spirit world. Like the wind, we cannot see Him with our human eyes but we can experience the effects of His presence. We require eyes of faith to behold our Spirit God. The Bible explains, Without faith it …
32262 Insufficient Vision
Lack of vision is another barrier. We don’t miss what we have never experienced. And if we are unaware that something better is possible, we will never seek it. And that’s the way it is with our relationship with God. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are …
32261 Unconfessed Sin and an Unrepentant Heart
Disobedience is a major barrier because it creates distance in our relationship with God. It’s not that God has turned away from us, but rather that we have turned away from Him through our rebellion. You can’t have a closer relationship with God if you don’t respect His boundaries. Jesus proclaimed, “The person who has …
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32215 A Heart for God
1. Our heart reflects our life. “As in water the face is reflected as a face, so a person’s heart reflects the person.” – Proverbs 27:19 In the Bible “heart” describes the functions of the soul and human spirit. HEART Soul• Mind • Will • EmotionsHuman Spirit• Conscience BODY • Senses • Physical Influences • Drives …
32214 A Trust Relationship
Trusting by Faith God wants us to trust Him by faith. But what does that look like? And furthermore, what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 states that “faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see”. It is by faith that we first trust and believe in the Lord, …
32213 Experiencing God’s Love
If you are like most followers of Christ, you have heard and believe that God loves you. But somehow that knowledge isn’t permeating your heart and life experience like it should. Why is that? Why are so many believers not consciously aware of God’s overwhelming love that surrounds them every day? Consider Jesus’ directions to …
32212 God Loves You Forever
Do you ever feel like no one cares about you? Or maybe you feel unworthy of being loved because of the way that you are or something that you have done. Good news! God loves you and wants a love relationship with you. You may ask, “Why would an eternal, holy God care about me?” The answer: …